President Donald Trump commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon, while Vice President JD Vance attended the New York City memorial at ground zero.
Twenty-five years ago, al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes in the early morning. Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, and one plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane was intended to hit the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., but passengers were able to take over from the hijackers and brought the plane down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died on the day of the attacks, and thousands more have died or gotten sick from the poor air quality in New York City following the collapse of the two giant towers.
President George W. Bush, who was president during the attack and launched the Global War on Terror following the attacks, was in New York City for the ceremony.
New York City memorial
On the morning of Sept, 11, 2001, two planes flew into the Twin Towers in New York City. American Airlines Flight 11 flew into the North Tower, and United Airlines Flight 175 flew into the South Tower. In total, 2,753 people died in New York City on the day of the attack. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the attack, all former presidents attended the service at ground zero on Friday. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and others were also in attendance.
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People stand at the memorial ahead of a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (David Dee Delgado/Pool Photo via AP) -
United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick stands at the memorial on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, Pool) -
Law enforcement officers carry a U.S. flag during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Jeenah Moon, Pool Photo via AP) -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: Former first lady Michelle Obama and Former U.S. President Barack Obama attend a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum on September 11, 2026 in New York City. The United States is marking the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when a group of al-Qaeda hijackers flew airplanes into the World Trade Center, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) -
A person pauses at the memorial ahead of a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Spencer Platt/Pool Photo via AP) -
(L/R) Former First Lady Jill Biden, former US President Joe Biden and former US President George W. Bush attend the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks at the National September 11 Memorial in New York on September 11, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images) -
Fire Department of New York (FDNY) firefighter pays his respects at the memorial during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Jeenah Moon, Pool Photo via AP) -
United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. stand at the memorial on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, Pool) -
Former mayor Rudy Giuliani moves inside the memorial on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, Pool) -
Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, center right, and Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York, center left, arrive ahead of the 25th anniversary commemoration ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York, US, on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Families and officials returned to the World Trade Center site on Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images -
A man wearing a tie depicting the Twin Towers stands at the memorial ahead of a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (David Dee DelGado/Pool Photo via AP) -
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo arrives to the memorial on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, Pool) -
(L/R) Former US President Joe Biden, former First Lady Laura Bush, former US President George W. Bush, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and US Vice President JD Vance attend the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks at the National September 11 Memorial in New York on September 11, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images)
Pentagon memorial
At 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 hit the outer ring of the west side of the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia, about three miles from downtown Washington, D.C. All 64 people on the flight and 125 people inside the building were killed that morning.
At 6:30 a.m., crews unrolled a large American flag on the side of the building that was hit. At the ceremony, the president was joined by first lady Melania Trump, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and others.
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Service members unfurl a flag on the 25th anniversary over the portion of the Pentagon’s west side that was struck by an airliner hijacked by terrorist, on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Arlington Va. (AP Photo/John McDonnell -
President Donald Trump stands upon arriving at an observance ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at the Pentagon in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) -
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrive at an observance ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at the Pentagon in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Shanksville
Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 took control of the aircraft back from the hijackers before it reached its intended target, the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. They took the plane down in an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. All 44 people on the plane died in the crash.
